Andrew McNiven
I’ve grown up as an avid gamer and believe that it is essential to have played a wide variety of games to truly understand design principles. I enjoy examining the addictiveness and engaging qualities of games and simulations but am most interested in how games can be used as educational tools (specifically in history but also across several subject areas). In the future I hope to bring these kinds of opportunities into schools as a high school teacher as alternative ways of learning and understanding.
Status/position: Pre-Service Education Student / Research Assistant
Department: Education/History
Lab tasks/responsibilities: Game Design, Research, Prototype Art
Research interests: Educational Applications of Games, Historical Understanding, Addictive Qualities of Games
John Bachynski
Games are not just for kids. They can provide the player with insight into how systems function so that these are fun, dynamic and interactive.
Status/position: Graduate Student / Research Assistant
Department: History
Lab tasks/responsibilities: Design Games and Develop Prototypes - Art and Audio Creation - Quality Assurance and Testing
Research interests: Computer Simulations - Propaganda and Persuasion - Game Design
Nicki Darbyson
I was a member of the Simulating history research team from May- September 2007. I am currently working towards a master’s degree in history at Brock University. I am interested in history and education, and finding innovative ways to communicate history in schools.
Status/position: Graduate Student
Faculty/Department: History
Lab tasks/responsibilities: As a member of the Simulating History Research team, my primary task was to conduct research on Montreal in 1885, specifically on society. I created a catalogue on clothing and public attitudes towards smallpox vaccinations based on class, gender and ethnicity. I also wrote the advisor responses in the game.
My other main task in the lab was administrative work such as aiding in the research and writing of grants, team contracts and design documents, as well as planning and organizing our schedules.
Research interests: My primary research interest is Canadian social history. I focus on women’s history, and am currently writing my master’s thesis on the role of women in the abolition of capital punishment in Canada.
Shawn Graham
I am a Registered Professional Archaeologist in North America, and a Member of the Institute of Field Archaeologists in the UK. I won my PhD from the School of Human and Environmental Science at the University of Reading in the UK in 2002 for my work on the complex network dynamics of the ancient Tiber Valley brick industry. I blog on games and digital media for research and learning here.
Status/position: Research Associate
Department: History
Lab tasks/responsibilities: Working remotely, Shawn manages this website, reviews the literature on Gaming for Education, explores new media and games, and contributes to the research and writing of this group.
Research interests: My interest in digital media concerns the paradigm-changing potentials for teaching, learning, and research in history and archaeology. I also am exploring agent based simulations for understanding various aspects of Roman history and archaeology. Finally, I am experimenting in historical scenario-building for commercial games and in augmented-reality games such as PMOG, to achieve better learning outcomes for my students.
Tamer Thabet
Ph.D. Candidate at Antwerp University – Belgium, and visiting international scholar to Brock University.
Status/position: Associate Researcher
Department: History
Lab tasks/responsibilities: Prototype development, filmmaking and documentation
Research interests: Ludology, Game Studies and Narratology. My thesis research is concerned with cybernarratology and computer games as storytellers.
Tom Mitrovic
Tom is a 4th year History major at Brock University and is currently working on a project to develop gaming as a vehicle to promote the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 in Niagara.
Status/position: History student / Research Assistant
Faculty/Department: History
Lab tasks/responsibilities: Project Development
Research interests: Cultural history and historical game simulations.